With the Red Bull maestro taking the checkered flag at each of the last eight grands prix -- a record-breaking run -- Alonso has been left 145 points adrift of the German driver and in second place with one race left in the season.

Alonso's cause has not been helped by a series of events which led to the sport's official tire supplier Pirelli ditching their 2013 rubber and reverting to the set it produced for the 2012 season.

However, Di Montezemolo refused to blame the tires for a run which has seen Ferrari fail to win a race since May's Spanish Grand Prix -- "I never like to use the word 'excuse'" -- preferring to focus on the success the team enjoyed in the opening rounds of the championship.

"The first half of the season we won two races, so Ferrari was far more competitive," explained the 66-year-old. "This is a fact ... when the tires were changed we paid a big price.

Battling teammates – Red Bull teammates Vettel and Mark Webber are wheel to wheel at the start of the United States Grand Prix.

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Record eighth straight win for champion Vettel 6 photos

Dominant Vettel – Vettel in splendid isolation in his Red Bull as he takes charge of the United States Grand Prix in Texas.

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Record eighth straight win for champion Vettel 6 photos

Patriotic pride – Made in the United States. The staging of F1 at the Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas has proved a big success.

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EXPAND GALLERY

"I don't like the formula in which a driver has to be careful not to destroy the tires."

While happy with the performance of Alonso, who will be partnered by Kimi Raikkonen in 2014 when the Finn returns to the team with which he won the drivers' title in 2007, Di Montezemolo was unable to contain his disappointment with the progress the team has made off the track.

"Why I am not happy this year is that we haven't been able to develop the car after a very good start of the season," he said. "So that was our problem."

The 2014 season will see a raft of rule changes, most significantly the mandatory use of a 1.6 liter turbocharged V6 engine which incorporates energy recovery systems.

KERS, which stores up energy created while braking to provide cars with extra power, is an energy recovery system which is already used in the sport.

"I am very happy to change rules, because I don't like formulas which aerodynamic means 90% of the performance," said Di Montezemolo, who hopes Ferrari can capitalize on its wealth of automotive design expertise.

"We are not building aeroplanes or satellites, we're building cars.

"Engine, gearbox, suspensions: these are also crucial, particularly for us, because - as we said - our experience in F1 means to transfer technology to our cars."